31 Days of Autumn Bliss {Day 5}: Layering Rugs over Carpet

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Do you hate carpet?

I have to stop short of saying I hate my carpet because I know it could be worse. I’m trying to be grateful for what I have. And it least it is a neutral. But nevertheless, it is carpet and I’m not a fan. My old house had hardwoods everywhere and here we only have them through the entry and kitchen. But, it is what it is and I’m not about to rip it all out right now and add hardwoods to match the kitchen just because I want them.

I’d love to have a perfect home and rip out everything I don’t like, but I’ve got other priorities, people! We sometimes have to accept what we have. At least my carpet is relatively new so I won’t complain too much. It will be ripped out someday, just not now.

In my quest for warmth and coziness this Fall, I wanted to add something new to make my main living room and dining room feel like ME. And that means I don’t want to see that carpet all the time. Since I can’t rip it out, I needed a quick and easy solution.

I LOVE natural fiber rugs.

I really love the look and texture of seagrass and sisal rugs. They have their drawbacks as far as if you have certain kinds of pets or very young children, perhaps, but they are wonderfully textured and add a lot to a space. As I was dreaming of a seagrass rug, it occurred to me that the color of the seagrass is almost the same as my carpet. Hmmmm. This might work.

So I probably made a design faux pas and bought two relatively inexpensive seagrass rugs to layer over my regular builder carpet, one in my living room and one in my dining room. GASP! All real designers can leave now.

Yes, I’m sure this breaks someone’s design rule. I know, it is not ideal in a dining room because you could drop a plate of spaghetti on the rug and it would be really hard to pull the noodles out of your seagrass. Yes, you could trip and break your leg and end up in the hospital through Christmas. There are probably dozens of reasons why you should NOT do this.

But I did it. And no design police have come to arrest me yet. And no one has dropped spaghetti on it either.

DISCLAIMER: These are photos from this summer
I need to update to my fall decor but I haven’t taken new photos yet!

Even though it isn’t the perfect solution, those two rugs make me MUCH happier than the carpet alone. So if it makes me happier, then I really don’t care about the rule or logic that says to not do it. I can hardly explain how happy these rugs have made me!

Layering rugs is an awesome way to cozy up your home. If you have carpet you don’t love, you too can layer another rug on top of it!

I actually see layered rugs like seagrass with oriental rugs in stylish magazines, so the idea of using two rugs together is not unheard of. You don’t have to use seagrass.

Putting an area rug in your conversation area is a GREAT WAY to make a room cozy!

Have you ever thought about layering rugs this fall to make things cozier, to define a conversation area or cover up carpet you don’t like?

For the entire list of post in this series, click the 31 Days button below!

Comments

Amen, sistah!! If it makes you happy, doesn’t matter if there’s a rule! I am practically obsessed with natural fiber rugs, and one of my favorite things to do is put down a large sisal, and then in the fall throw down a much smaller wool rug (usually oriental or zebra!) on a diagonal angle. That makes the room look cozy, and then in the summer, take up the small rug and your room looks so-fresh-and-so-clean with just the sisal!!Sarah recently posted..Multiple Design Personality Disorder

We have a seagrass rug that usually layers the terrible carpet in our living room {I just removed it to put in our entry, but I’m sure it will end up back there soon}. I like how it defines the space. And I like the texture. I say, RULES SCHMULES. Who needs them {at least as far as design goes!}. Do what you like and what makes your home more enjoyable. If that is layering rugs, let the tripping begin …emily recently posted..moms &amp flowers

I absolutely love rugs. I might have an addiction to them. I swear I have one in every single room. I think they are great because they bring color and texture to a space, they can be changed out pretty easily and rearranged and they save the carpet from wear. I love them!

hmm…I think I see what you mean by carpet by looking closely at your picture…and I agree, I don’t like it either! (In India, builders generally put in marble flooring, so it’s up to use to cover it up (or not) any which way we like!) I love my winter decor, because I get all the colorful rugs out — makes the house look nice and warm. I’ve layered a brown woven jute mat with a colorful woolen rug before, and it looks nice, but it’s a pain to clean, so I don’t do that anymore. Need my sanity more ;)Modern Gypsy recently posted..Zangoora- A Bollywood musical extravaganza

…oh yes!…i have been layering rugs over hated carpet for over 4o years…two years ago we finally got hardwood floors…and the rugs i had are beautiful over the wood…there are no design police…they are a myth…i don’t believe in myths…

I love rugs too… and who cares about design rules if it makes your home feel the way you want it to.

I have a natural fibre rug in my dining area (with red material edging), as well as an all red, round rug!! I also have little red, round rugs in my hall, a big rug with autumn colours and leaves on it in my lounge, handknotted and frayed multicoloured rugs in another part of my hall, and little round rugs in my 2 bedrooms!

Yep, I LOVE rugs!!

The charcoal coloured carpet all throughout my unit had just been laid when I bought it 2 years ago, so it’s staying put. Besides, there’s no gorgeous wooden floors under there (and I do enjoy wooden floors so much), so rugs are the order of the day!

Hi Melissa,
I love your blog and look forward to each day of autumn bliss. About rugs…I do well with them, have them in each room and get the coziness they contribute but I have a different ‘rug’ question. I, too, am stuck with carpet. I do not like the small transition area from tile to carpet that seemingly gets more worn than the other areas. I’ve tried to put a rug there but it always seems so out of place, like I’m trying to cover something. Any ideas there?
Love rugs over carpet too!
Lori

great idea while I dream of hardwoods at least on my first floor! I think I should do a 31 day series titled 31 days to get your dogs to quit peeing on your carpet. They much prefer carpet to hardwoods! Thanks Melissa!Mary Jean recently posted..Decorating with Definition

I love those rugs. I have been thinking about it for my dining room for too long. I need to go get one, spaghetti spills or not! I’m more worried about getting the right size for the table since we have the leaf in occasionally. Where did you get yours?Anita recently posted..Junk Do-Over

I often layer rugs over carpet, Max’s room, master bedroom, home office, and often suggest this to clients and readers. When I take a photo of a room that has been wonderfully decorated, but see that one of the biggest surfaces in the space, the floor (with often quite blah carpet in a tone that does nothing for the design) takes so much away from the finished look. Throwing down a simple rug, or one with color and pattern or texture, can really make ALL the difference! JanellJanell Beals recently posted..Get out! One of my DIY Tutorials Featured On TheNateShowcom!

Love this! Just this week, I moved the rug from our kitchen to our den. And let me tell you, it was a revelation! The den feels soooo much cozier than before. I just put the rug right on top of our carpet. It pulls the whole room together. And as a bonus, it hides some of the stains that my 2 boys have added to the carpet. :-)

I’ve been hestiant to buy rugs since we plan to leave our apartment soon. But I do think they are a great way to cozy up a room – though I’ve never considered layering them over carpet. An interesting idea to consider…Imperfect recently posted..Tomorrow We Run

I’ve got the same problem. There was carpet everywhere when we moved in except the foyer and kitchen. Carpet in the dining room. Even in the master bath (!!). We’re slowly replacing it, but that takes time and money.

I’m dying to switch out the carpet in the family room, but I might try putting an area rug down for now like you did. Maybe that would tide me over for awhile! :-)Julia recently posted..Should Realtors Photoshop Listing Photos

My MIL decided to get us a big, pretty rug for Christmas. She asked us ahead of time if we were interested in having one and at first I wasn’t sure. I had just never thought of having a rug before, as we already have wall-to-wall carpeting, but it looks great. It’s a busy, partially dark pattern and you can’t tell that anything’s been spilled on it at all even though I know it has because we have two little kids! It definitely feels and looks cozy and it has become the new focal point of the floor rather than the ever-present spots in our tan carpet.Jenny recently posted..How to blow your grocery budget in five easy steps

I actually love the look of a run on top of carpet. Your living room looks wonderful. Who made the rule, “no layering rugs”? Well I say, rules were made to be broken—especially in the decorating world. How we enhance our homes is a personal, artistic preference! Way to go, Melissa!Karen recently posted..A weekend in Austin

We have a big area rug that we’ve moved in every fall for the last few years-I haven’t done it this year-it’s dark brown and although I love I just don’t want the dark in the house. Not sure if I’ll ever get to it this year, but that’s okay.Gina recently posted..Let’s All Dress Crazy

Love rugs, hate carpets! I dream of the day we have changed all our carpet, but like with you it’s not on the top of the list right now (though I may be another room down in a month or two if the bedroom remodel speeds up a bit, woo hoo!). In the meantime I put rugs on carpets. I love layering rugs over any flooring.

Btw, can I just say that I love, love, love the blue glass thingies in the window behind your sofas- coloured glass makes my heart sing, and those ones are so sweet!Carin recently posted..Everyday creativity

Great idea…we have hardwood floor through out our home…I’ve put down a natural fiber rug and was toying with the idea of adding a smaller “patterned rug” on top of the fiber rug for a pop of color…what do you think? I’m I crazy.
Thanks for all your help
Teresateresa recently posted..Between Conference makeover

I layer rugs as a matter of survival. With little ones at the dinner table and the dinner area carpeted, a rug under the table is a must. Especially now that we’re renting and there’s really nice carpet in the rental that gives my husband a heart attack about keeping clean. In fact, I bought an outdoor rug. It is super easy to clean and much cheaper than an “indoor” area rug of equivalent size!Megan L recently posted..Week 1 of Simplification

Our house is mostly carpeted, and over the 6 years we have been living here it has been destroyed by one dog, two cats, one spaghetti/drink spilling husband and now my toilet training toddler. It’s at the point now where I tell people not to even bother taking their shoes off. Honestly, at this point a rug wouldn’t help. I don’t know if getting it professionally cleaned will fix it! If it could I would buy a big rug for our living area. I don’t understand having things in your house that are too good to be used. I do love fluffy rugs over cold floors!Amy recently posted..Calling all guest bloggers

It layering a rug over carpet is a sin..then I am guilty too. I inherited a large rug and it’s over carpet in my bonus room. I think it helps define the sitting space vs. the play space… Happy breaking this {rule?} !!!ANTIQUECHASE recently posted..My Dining Room

doesn’t everyone layer carpets???
i remember my mother doing just that, way back (gasp) in the 50’s.
my partner did it in his house to keep the carpet clean- think teen boys and multiple cats. i’m always looking for yet another one to use and someday will find that perfectly shappy and underpriced woven rug ….it’s up there on the list with a chandelier for the bedroom!

I was so happy to read your post about layering rugs. I have been seeing this a lot lately in magazines. I am thrilled as I am in the same boat as you are, having a not so loved carpet, and been thinking of adding a sisal or seagrass carpet over it and now will do it! I love the idea that someone mentioned about having another rug over this with warm colors for fall. I don’t care about the rules..let’s start our own look!

I’ve actually seen a lot of “real” designers do this. And they really seem to like putting and area rug on top of another area rug, which I think is a little odd. But odd things seem to get recognition. I say, good for you! Do what you love.Leanne recently posted..Halloween Decor

Melissa, love your cozy room and the texture your sisal rug adds. I’m also in love with your sofa. Is it slipcovered (purchased or home sewn? Can you tell us about that? It is so cozy and feminine looking. Love it so much!!

Our house is mostly hardwood, and we are desperately searching for a floor rug that we both like. This has proven to be quite a challenge. I am not used to rugs…so I have a hard time picking out one I like. I don’t want to spend a lot of money and I don’t want something ugly. LOL!

Great post. I actually like the rug on carpet thing.Tiffany recently posted..Just One Thought

I LOVE rugs over carpets! I can’t do hardwood floors at this time either, so I love to break up the monotony a little with area rugs. Yours looks great!!Mona Kay at Home recently posted..I Love Marshalls!

I recently found your blog and love it! I’ve actually been thinking of putting a rug over my family room carpet! Our carpet is horribly dirty, but new flooring isn’t in the budget right now. So, instead, I bought a steam cleaner and will soon (hopefully) layer a rug over the main area. I figure it will either take the eye away from the very worn carpet or make it look worse in comparison to the new rug. Either way, it will be change and hopefully be cozy!

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[…] 31 Days of Autumn Bliss {Day 5}: Layering Rugs over Carpet | The … I know, it is not ideal in a dining room because you could drop a plate of spaghetti on the rug and it would be really hard to pull the noodles out of your seagrass Yes, you could trip and break your leg and end up in the hospital 21 Jenny October 5, 2010 at 02:22 am. My MIL decided to get us a big, pretty rug for Christmas. She asked us ahead of time if we were interested in having one and at first I wasn't sure. I had just never thought of having a rug before, […]